Arbor Trace Memory Care Center

My mother has been living at ArborTrace for a couple of months now. Because she has a terminal illness in addition to her dementia, I am spending a great deal of time at the facility- 8+ hours for several days at a time. The care is simply exemplary. Mom’s health needs are complex but the Dr and nurses are attentive and committed to providing the best possible care. The PSW’s are kind, patient and forgiving. Many have worked at this particular facility for years. While at some facilities you will see a drop in care when the boss goes home, my perception is that the staff are just as committed at night. Indeed, with many patients asleep, they seem to relish the opportunity to provide great social support to the night owls. There is very little agitation and frustration among the patients and when it does happen, it is dealt with calmly and professionally to good effect. They are very communicative with us as decision makers and indeed, I feel the genuine concern extends to us as family members. I wish everybody could receive this kind of care. I would encourage anyone who has the means to place their loved one here.

The facility itself was nice. It is large with slot of walking space. There were many residence parked infront of the nursing station which is your first view upon entry. The colour inside was all beige and not cheery looking. This feeling was more nursing home than high view. I am sure the care is good. But the environment was not for us.

Arbor Trace is very clean and spacious. The staff is caring and friendly and really look after the residents. Hallways are wide and bright. Lots of daily activities. Semi private rooms are well laid out, bathroom is large and cleaning staff do an excellent job.

The tour was very thorough and [name removed] was excellent at explaining all aspects of the care. Very nice establishment.

Do not send your loved one to this place unless they have early Alzheimer's and even then don't expect they can stay there for long. They accepted my husband when the retirement home he lived in decided he was getting aggressive .They knew his condition but accepted him. When he showed mild aggression they called the police and he ended up in a psychiatric ICU lockup at Victoria hospital. He was sent there without contacting the family until the next day. Be careful about sending your loved one to this place where they may not stay for long.

I have been my wife’s sole caregiver for two years. I had devoted my life to her care 7 days a week 24 hours a day. Eventually my health began to decline. I am now 79. My wife’s condition began to deteriorate. There used to be a time when families divided care giving among themselves but times have changed and there are fewer and fewer families large enough or even interested in providing care to a loved one. Finally [Removed] was placed in our local hospital for tests and remedial treatment and I was faced with the absolute necessity of finding [Removed] a suitable home that could My wife diagnosis was a brain which had shrunk, a series of small strokes which caused the blood vessels in her brain to become tangled and she has Alzheimers. I was faced with the problem with finding a long term care center which could accept her when she was released . In November 2016 CCAC had sent me a list of long term care centres. Over the next few months I went to 11 of these centers that were in S W Ontario. I must admit that the level of care I observed was depressing. What I saw and smelt were a lot of elderly people who looked very unhappy, sleeping in corridors without enough staff to care for them. It seemed to me that these so-called Long term Care Centres were warehousing the elderly , supported by government subsidies resulting in the owners making large profits at the expense of the people they supposedly were helping. Most of the Long Term Care facilities that are subsidized are not only inadequate but also have long waiting lists. I started to look at private residences and I did find an excellent care center in London called Arbor Trace, which is the only home in S. W. Ontario that specializes in Alzheimer’s care. There was a vacancy and [Removed] has been in Arbor Trace since March 15. The level of care is exemplary, indeed Arbor Trace is a model of what Long Term Care Centre should be. There is a staff of 30 professional caregivers for 66 residents compared to a ratio of 1 caregiver to 20 residents in most LTCC. Arbor Trace has a maximum of 66 residents while most other LTCC have 200 to 300 residents, in many cases 4 to a room. Arbor Trace is a modern building built 3 years ago . All rooms are on one floor . There are no elevators or stairs with well lit wide halls to allow the residents to walk. As you may know Alzheimer’s patients need a great deal of one on one care. They receive this individual care at Arbor Trace as compared to limited care at most other facilities. [Removed] currently occupies a private room at a cost of $6700 per month. The price puts severe strains on our finances. She cannot come home as I can no longer look after her. Arbor Trace is where my wife of 60 years will remain until she dies. If I had chosen an inferior facility, OHIP would have underwritten some of these costs so that her stay can be made more affordable? But by choosing a model facility the government will not help to defray the expenses. It is unfair that most of the residences on CCAC list get funds from the government to permit families to receive Long Term Care at an affordable rate while a person suffering from Alzheimers. who is admitted to a model home such as Arbor Trace is left out in the cold. Arbor Trace is definitely not a retirement home. It is the only Alzheimers Care Centre in SW Ontario. Alzheimer’s as you know is a disease and requires a great deal of one on one care. This is given at Arbor Trace and it is not given at any other long-term care centre in S W Ontario of which I am aware. MOHLTC funds all personal and long-term care in homes, which provide care for people who have specific disabilities. Arbor Trace, should qualify for funding. However it seems to me that the Ministry is discriminating by forfeiting their funding to Arbor Trace because it considers this institution of retirement facility. It is definitely not a retirement facility but a facility that offers excellent care to dementia patients. As such it should be immediately reclassified as a long term care facility and given the same funding as other long term facilitates receive. Once again I must reiterate, Arbor Trace is not a retirement home it is a Long Term Care centre for Alzheimer’s patients. I can tell you after discussions with Arbor Trace they feel that anyone who requires special care should be able to access their facility and have the government make it possible for people with limited means to have that opportunity. Why subsidize facilities which warehouse the elderly and provide profits for the owners when model homes go unsupported?

Lovely new facility that has high end finishes. Large figure 8 layout and extensive activities available. Indicate a willingness and ability to keep residents even if heavier physical care. Nice outdoor areas.

Arbor Trace had the most compassionate, caring staff that create a home environment for loved ones suffering with dementia. The facility us second to none as are those we met in our brief time there.

Arbor Trace's sign indicates it is an Alzheimer's Facility which includes nursing. However, it is a for profit retirement home! It charges exorbitant fees, is understaffed, has one doctor on call. You pay extra for everything. It is NOT a nursing home. Please do not be misled!

Facility is clean, well designed, staff helpful, friendly, cooperative. AT needs more staff and indeed has increased the ratio of nursing and PSWs per resident effective Nov. 1, 2015.

Beautiful surroundings. Molly was very knowledgeable About her facility and the needs of the Alzeheimer's population. I have concerns that this level of care may be beyond what my friend needs at this point.